


Airs Above The Ground - The Start of Something Special

by Ravanne



Series: Airs Above The Ground [2]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Horses, Not Rachel Friendly, Tags May Change, equestrian kurt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:54:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25840168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravanne/pseuds/Ravanne
Summary: Boy meets the love of his life - the horse that will change his future.
Series: Airs Above The Ground [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1875004
Comments: 12
Kudos: 31





	1. Boy Meets Horse

Kurt had been saving for nearly two years to try to buy his own horse, putting in every spare hour he could at the garage and saving every cent that he could scrounge. Between work, school and lessons, he had devoted himself with a firm dedication that astonished the adults in his life. Kurt was brutally single-minded about his goal, refusing invites for movies and jaunts with friends because he needed to get as much saved as possible. He might barely be fifteen but he knew what he wanted out of life and he was determined to succeed in his sport.

It was appearing to be an increasingly unlikely possibility despite all of Kurt’s efforts. Eventing prospects were expensive and ones with the kind of basic training and potential for growth he was looking for would run him at least ten thousand dollars and more likely far more. He was at the stage he was ready to start competing at a higher level and not having his own horse to train and compete on was holding him back. His father wanted to help, but he was already spending so much on Kurt’s training. Buying an expensive horse and the upkeep that went along with it was just more than he could manage and there was no way that Kurt could ask him to put himself into debt for this. Not given all the sacrifices his father had already made to get him this far.

Schue very much wanted to help his student. There was only so much longer than Kurt’s competitive career could continue to advance without his own horse to work with, but he was very cognizant that his student didn’t have an unlimited budget. He’d been keeping his ear out for anyone who had an eventing horse that they needed to sell that Kurt might be able to get on the cheap. Ideally they wanted a horse that had all the basics and could grow with Kurt since he was now capable of competing at the intermediate level. Most horses that they found were too young and inexperienced for competition, or too advanced to suit a young rider like Kurt. It was starting to look hopeless when Schue got a phone call that had the potential to change everything for Kurt.

Abby Conrad was well known in the equestrian community around Lima, running the Greater Ohio Equine Rescue. A former dressage competitor in her younger days, she devoted her life to saving horses from bad situations and re-homing them. Most of them were basic riding horses, but occasionally she found horses with show potential. She kept contacts with many of the show barns in the area, helping to match rescued horses with riders looking for new mounts. Several of the school horses came through her rescue. For kids like Kurt who could not afford show quality horses and horses that otherwise would meet a horrible end, she was an absolute godsend. 

That Sunday morning found Kurt, his father and Schue at the rescue to see what Abby had discovered. She met them at the office, looking very optimistic. “Kurt, it’s great to finally meet you,” she expressed, brushing off her hands on her jeans before shaking his hand warmly. “Will’s told me so much about you.”

“Thanks,” Kurt answered. “Schue’s told me a lot about you too. It’s amazing what you do here.”

He wasn’t exaggerating. The facility wasn’t fancy, he noted as she led them to the barn. But it was more than functional and clean, with good stables and plenty of pastures for the horses to enjoy the fresh air. Sure, the fences and the buildings looked like they would benefit from a fresh coat of paint but the horses all looked like they were in good condition, well-fed and happy. Clearly the budget of the rescue was focused on giving the horses the best care possible and not on making the place look pretty.

She smiled cheerfully. “We’re really proud of this place. It’s hard work, but it’s always worthwhile when we’re able to find our horses good homes. I wanted you to get the first look at this one before we get word out to other schools. I think you’re going to like this horse. I was shocked as hell when we found out that the auction had his papers. He’s a registered Irish Sport Horse, so he’s probably got a lot of potential as an eventer.”

“Have you seen what he’s like under saddle yet?” Schue asked.

“Not yet. He arrived just a week ago and we wanted to let him get settled first. The auctions can be pretty traumatizing for a young horse. Our vet already checked him over and he’s perfectly sound, and he’s got lovely ground manners.” She fell silent, as if considering something. “Kurt, I don’t want to sound like I’m pushing to hard. If you don’t think he’s the right horse for you, don’t feel obligated that you have to take him. He’s going to be really easy for us to rehome, but Will said that you were looking for a good horse and I wanted you to get a chance to see him first.”

Kurt smiled. “I really appreciate it. Schue said that you got him Winchester and he’s my favorite horse in the barn. I’m looking forward to seeing him.”

Abby grinned, glad that she hadn’t overstepped. “Well, why don’t we go introduce the two of you?”

She led them into the main stable and the large box stall towards the back. Kurt looked inside and saw a tall dark gray gelding with a dappling pattern over his flanks and rump happily munching on the hay in his net. He was a great looking horse, Kurt noted. Nice and tall, around sixteen hands, with good looking legs. A little bit too lean, Kurt judged, but nothing that a few weeks of good feeding wouldn’t fix. Confirmation wise, Kurt had nothing to complain about. The gelding had an absolutely beautiful head, with a broad forehead and an elegantly tapered muzzle. His neck had a lovely arch, which would look amazing in the dressage trials. But in the end, it was his eyes that got to Kurt; large, dark and intelligent. He seemed friendly and Kurt looked to Abby.

“Can I groom him? So we can get to know one another?”

“Of course!” she said brightly. She handed Kurt a lead rope.

Kurt unlatched the stall door and stepped inside, clicking his tongue slightly to get the horse’s attention. “Hi bud,” he said softly, reaching out to pat the horse’s neck. He was pleased to see the horse willing to abandon his hay and focus on him, nickering softly at the attention.

Kurt stroked the velvet soft nose. “Are we going to be friends?” he asked. As if to answer, the horse nickered again and blew out through his nose in greeting.

Kurt fastened the lead rope to the halter and opened the stall door, hoping that the horse would follow him without too much coercion. He was very happy to see the big gray follow him out with barely a tug on the rope. He led the horse to the cross-ties and picked up the stiff bristled brush.

Schue had always taught him that grooming bonded a horse and his rider. Most horses loved the attention and for the rider it was a chance to really get a feeling for the horse’s health. Going over the horse’s entire body let Kurt get a sense of the horse’s personality and see his body condition. While a bit underweight, he was still very well-muscled. His legs were solid with a lot of good bone. Kurt watched the skin along the horse’s flank ripple when he found a sensitive spot; something he’d need to keep in mind once he had the horse under saddle. Otherwise, the big gray just sighed in contentment and leaning into Kurt’s ministrations, clearly enjoying being properly cared for.

Picking up a hoof pick, he was pleased to see that the horse readily picked up his feet when asked. The only issue with his hooves was that he hadn’t seen a farrier in some time and needed his feet trimmed and shod, but there were no obvious cracks or defects. The gelding didn’t seem discomforted and was standing soundly on all feet.

After brushing out the tangles in his nearly black mane and tail, the horse looked pretty darned good in Kurt’s opinion. And all the while, he had happily let Kurt do whatever he wanted without a fuss. This was a horse accustomed to being well-cared for and he seemed to genuinely enjoy being pampered a bit. His manners were lovely and suddenly Kurt couldn’t wait to see what he was like with a saddle.

* * *

Kurt accepted a leg up from Schue and settled onto the horse’s back. He quickly got his feet into the stirrups and gathered the reins until he made gentle contact with the bit. The horse snorted, a bit cautious with the unfamiliar rider but stood obediently until Kurt was settled. With a gentle squeeze of his legs, he urged the horse into a walk, keeping his hands soft on the reins. He let the horse walk freely, getting a sense of his smooth and steady gait and letting the big gray loosen his muscles a bit. After a few minutes he squeezed with his legs again, asking the horse to trot.

The response was exactly what Kurt had hoped for; immediate and willing. The horse’s natural movements were smooth and had an animated floating quality; exactly what he would want for the dressage trials. “How does he look?” he called out to Schue, wanting to get his opinion from the ground.

“Nice, Kurt. Real nice. Try collecting him but keep him trotting. Let’s see what kind of schooling he’s got.”

Kurt nodded and gently drew the horse’s head down with the bit but kept his leg on him to keep him moving. He was pleased to see the horse doing exactly what Kurt was asking of him. The horse’s stride shortened, his hindquarters tucking up under him but was still very animated. The gelding’s neck curved into a pleasing arch; his tail carried high behind him as he trotted around the paddock. Excited now, Kurt nudged him into a canter, keeping him collected. He then relaxed his hands and asked the horse to extend the canter. The gray snorted happily and gave his head a little toss as they flew around the ring, Kurt was hard pressed to keep the smile off his face.

“He looks great, Kurt,” Schue called out. “Feel like taking him over an easy jump or two?”

Kurt nodded eagerly and gently drew the horse in. The gray seemed very happy to be working and so far, everything looked great. If he was confident over jumps, Kurt had a big decision to make.

Schue and Abby quickly set up a couple of low jumps, the highest only around 3 feet. They would be easy hops for a horse with even elementary jumping training and wouldn’t stress his unshod feet. Once the jumps were ready, Kurt nudged the gray into a collected canter, letting the horse loosen up and start listening to Kurt before bringing him up to the first jump, a low oxer that would be easy for even an inexperience horse to hop over. He was looking for any hesitation or refusal on the horse’s part. He was delighted when the horse perked up his ears as they approached the jump and under Kurt’s guidance, neatly bounced over. Kurt immediately turned him towards the second, slightly higher jump and again the horse took it without any problems.

He saved the three-footer for last, gently turning the gray into the approach and hoping that he would jump the higher obstacle as easily as he had taken the low hops. The horse was clearly eager but listened to Kurt’s cues obediently and tucked up his front feet as he leaped over the fence without a hint of hesitation.

Kurt took him over the jumps again, the horse showing increasing confidence and trust in his rider. He then slowed the gray down into a trot and let him pace around the ring to give him a chance to cool off before drawing him up to a halt before his teacher and father. He looked down at his father, trying to keep a rein on his excitement. There were so many things to consider. Kurt had a few thousand in savings from his part time job at the garage. If the adoption fee wasn’t exorbitant, he’d have enough to pay for several months’ board and training, as well as farrier and vet fees. It could work.

Abby smiled when she saw the expression on Kurt’s face, knowing that she’d made a good match here. Schue had told her so much about Kurt and what having a good horse could mean for him. Saving a horse’s life and helping an aspiring rider was what she lived for. “Do you like him?” she asked, trying to hide her eagerness.

Kurt smoothly dismounted and stroked the horse’s neck. “He’s great. He really liked jumping and he seems to have a bit of training. How old is he?”

“According to his papers, almost five. He’s still very young so the two of you can mature together.”

Kurt nodded, glad that the horse was as young as he was. They would have many years competing together. “I’m really afraid to ask, but what kind of an adoption fee are you asking for?” he asked. A horse like this on the regular market would be well out of his means.

Abby grinned. “I would just ask you to cover what we paid for him at auction. Four hundred dollars.”

Kurt felt his jaw drop. An Irish Sport Horse for just a few hundred?

Abby smiled sadly. “The kill buyers were probably taking pity on me. Sometimes they’ll let us take the really good horses without getting into a bidding war. We don’t find horses like this, that we know we can adopt out quickly that often.

“But seriously, I’m not looking to get money for him, Kurt,” she assured him. “This just lets me cover what we paid so we can try to rescue more horses. My first priority is to make sure that he finds the perfect situation and I think that you’d be a really good match for him.”

“Can I talk to my dad and Schue first?” he asked. He knew what he wanted the answer to be, but he needed their input. This was such an enormous decision and he wanted their feedback before he made a final verdict.

“Sure. Why don’t I take him back to the barn so you guys can talk?”

Kurt nodded, reluctantly handing the reins over to Abby. He watched the big gray walked back to the barn, admiring the sway of the horse’s rump as he moved. Schue noticed where Kurt’s gaze was focused and smiled. “He’s a nice mover,” he said softly. “Definitely at least some elementary dressage training.”

“He felt really good over the jumps,” Kurt said. “Once he saw the jumps, he knew what to do.”

“Abby uses the same vet that I use. I’d trust Dr. Bieste’s report, but we can get a second vet check.” Schue looked down at his student. “Kurt, I can give you my opinion, but in the end it’s completely your decision. I think he’s got some serious potential, but we won’t know how good he really is until we start working him. If you’re not comfortable with him, you know you can still ride Winchester until we find the right horse for you.”

Kurt nodded and looked to his father. “Dad, I’ve got enough saved to cover at least the first few months for him, but I’ll need to put in more time at the garage to keep on top of expenses.”

“We can do that,” Burt agreed. “You’re almost finished with school for the year, so I can give you a full shift. If that won’t interfere with your training, that is.” Burt took to Schue questioningly.

“It won’t. We’ll make it work.” Schue smiled at his student and asked, “So are we going to give Abby the good news?”

Abby had the good grace not to squeal with delight, though the hug she gave Kurt nearly squeezed the stuffing out of him. Kurt wrote out the check, feeling almost guilty for it being so little money, but Abby quickly but his concerns at rest.

“Kurt, my job is to save horses and find them good homes. Not to get rich doing it. This money will let us take care of the horses that aren’t as easy to place and maybe pick up another at the auction. The fact that he’s getting out of here so quickly is the best outcome we could have hoped for. Especially because he’s going to someone as special as you.” She smiled warmly and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’m so looking forward to seeing you ride him in competition and giving him the chance to live up to his potential.”

Kurt felt a swell of pride in him when she handed him the signed paperwork. Unlike most adoptions, she was willing to grant full title of the horse to Kurt. Abby did insist on an amendment to the contract that if Kurt ever was unable or unwilling to keep the horse, that he would return the horse to the rescue for possible rehoming. It was something that Kurt readily agreed to, though he couldn’t imagine ever giving up his horse. He was already completely in love with the big gray.

“And now, here are his papers,” Abby said, handing Kurt a folder. “He’s from good stock. His sire is a sport horse that has a show jumping record, but his dam is a registered Irish Draught. Any idea what you’re going to name him?”

“Did he have a name before?” Kurt asked.

Abby smiled sadly. “We haven’t given him one yet and I checked with the ISH registry and the sport organization. He wasn’t registered for competition so even if he did, we wouldn’t be able to find out what it was without finding his previous owner. And if we do, I’ll give them a piece of my mind for just dumping a great horse like this at a low rent auction.”

Kurt didn’t want to think of what would have happened to his horse had Abby not gone to the auction that day. He wasn’t naive. He knew what happened to a lot of those horses and it had always bothered him terribly. He thought it was horrible that someone like him who would have killed to have his own horse couldn’t, but some who were lucky enough to have their own just threw them away like garbage.

He looked at the papers, thinking that maybe using one of the gray’s parents in the name might work. The dam’s name was Musetta’s Waltz and he liked the idea of playing on the idea of a musical name. Kurt’s mother had loved opera and _La Boehme_ had been one of her favorites. He immediately thought to her favorite singer.

“Pavarotti. That’s his name.” Kurt announced, feeling a huge smile cross his face. Such a gorgeous horse deserved a properly majestic name. He looked to his father and saw that the name had struck a similar cord with him.

“That’s a great name, son. Your mom would have loved it,” Burt assured him, smiling at the memory of his beloved wife and her continued influence long after her passing. “And she would be so proud of you. Look at this… you’ve got your own horse that you paid for yourself.”

Kurt felt an enormous sense of pride that this was something that he more than earned. Unlike Rachel’s fathers who were able to indulge her riding and bought her the best gear and horses available, Burt had struggled to give Kurt what he needed. He knew that his father felt an enormous amount of guilt that he wasn’t able to give Kurt the advantages that Rachel had, but Kurt was grateful for everything that his father was able to do for him.

“Well, I’ll head back to the barn and get a stall situated for him,” Will announced. “Kurt, we’ll meet during the week to discuss a training schedule for the both of you. I think that as we bring him up, we’ll have you work with both Pavarotti and Winchester so we don’t lose track of your schooling. I’ll call Dr. Bieste and get her recommendations on feed so we can get him back up to condition.”

“Thanks Schue. I’ll have to sort out getting gear for him,” Kurt mused, mentally calculating the costs in his head. Hopefully someone had some old gear that they wanted to get rid of.

“I’m sure we’ve got plenty of stuff in the tack room that you can use for now,” Will assured him, wanting to help Kurt keep the costs down as much as possible. He patted Kurt on the shoulder. “It’s okay, Kurt. We’ll make this work.”

Kurt felt a smile spreading across his face. “I just can’t believe it… I have my own horse now.”

“Yeah, you do,” Burt chuckled, amused at the absolutely stunned expression on his son’s face. “You want to spend a little more time with him before we head home?”

Kurt looked over to Abby, looking all too much like a child on Christmas Eve. “Do you mind if I do?”

“Sure, Kurt,” Abby smiled. “I’m sure that Pavarotti will be happy for the company.”

Kurt ended up spending a full hour in Pavarotti’s stall, feeding the horse bits of apple and carrots and just talking to him softly. “We’re going to be champions, Pav,” he promised. “I can tell already. You’re going to be the best one at the barn, aren’t you? My handsome boy.” He scratched Pavarotti underneath his mane and the horse leaned into the touch.

“He’s a good-looking horse.”

Kurt looked up to find his father standing outside the stall, watching them with a soft smile on his face.

Kurt nodded, pressing his cheek against Pavarotti’s neck. “You’re going to think this is crazy, but I almost feel like he was meant for me. That he was at that auction for Abby to find so I could get him.”

“Well, I don’t know about fate or anything, but it’s a lucky break for the both of you,” Burt said wisely. He could see how in love Kurt already was with his horse and judging from the way the horse nuzzled at Kurt’s chest, the infatuation was mutual. “Come on, say goodbye. You can come tomorrow to see him if you want.”

Kurt grinned, realizing that he could see Pavarotti whenever he wanted now. They had each other and Kurt knew that they would never be separated now.


	2. Pav Comes Home & Rachel is Rachel

Kurt could barely wait for the trailer to come to a full halt before jumping out of the cab and rushing to the door and climbing into the back to check Pav. As Abby promised, Pavarotti was a good traveler and had loaded easily into the trailer. The horse had been more than content to spend the ride munching on his hay and didn’t seem the least bit stressed by the long drive back to the barn. He looked up at Kurt and nickered a greeting. Kurt smiled and stroked his nose before untying the lead rope and carefully backed him down the ramp.

Once unloaded, Kurt gave Pav a few minutes to get his bearings and take in all the new sounds and scents around him. The gray gave a loud whinny, as if announcing his arrival and pranced a bit, showing off. That set off the other horses in the paddock and barn, who answered his call. Pav whinnied again, swishing his tail and danced in place.

Kurt grinned at the commotion, which was pretty typical when a new horse showed up. It was reassuring to see the display of spirit from the gray at the new surroundings. He didn’t seem at all intimidated or anxious; just curious and excited. Pav’s ears were upright and swiveling about as he tried to catch every sound, and his eyes were wide and alert as he looked excitedly around him. He led Pav about, letting him get a look at the place and stretch his legs after the long trailer ride. The gray gelding snorted happily, nudging Kurt with his head.

Schue got the trailer taken care of and came up to Kurt. “Why don’t we show the big guy his stall and let him get settled?” he suggested. “Tomorrow he can spend the day in the paddock and meet some of the others. I set up a stall for him next to Winchester.”

Kurt nodded and clicked his tongue to get Pav’s attention. “Come on, boy. Let’s go check out your new digs,” he urged gently. He led him towards the barn where the competing horses were stabled. Pav was practically dancing beside him in excitement, looking about as he walked and calling out to the other horses and displaying for everyone. Kurt was grinning as he led his horse, accepting the compliments of his friends for finding such a nice-looking horse. He couldn’t ever remember being so happy.

Schue set them up at the end of a row of the bigger box stalls that overlooked the pastures where it was quieter and Pav would have a chance to decompress and get comfortable. It was the same line of stalls where Rachel’s horses were stabled, but they were further up the row. Kurt was glad to see that Winchester was stabled next to Pav’s new stall. The older, calm gelding would make a good friend for Pav and help him get settled.

Kurt stopped suddenly when he saw that on the door of Pav’s stall was a new brass nameplate that had not been there the day before. Both Pavarotti’s and Kurt’s name were engraved on it, proclaiming who the new resident was. Kurt looked up at Schue in surprise.

His coach smiled warmly. “Just a little welcome gift to make the big guy feel at home,” he explained.

Kurt felt his eyes water a little bit but managed to get Pav into his stall before he lost his composure completely. The gray gelding immediately began to sniff at everything, snorting contentedly as he tested the depth of the bedding and then checked out his neighbor. Winchester peeked over the top of the stall rail and gave a snort of welcome to the newcomer. The two horses sniffed at one another from between the bars and then apparently decided that they’d be friends.

Once they saw that Pav was comfortable and getting along fine with his roommate, they went to the feed room to prepare his evening ration. Dr. Bieste had left clear instructions about how to build him up. He wasn’t so underweight that they had to worry about him becoming ill, but they wanted to get him into condition as quickly and safely as possible. High quality grain with a good vitamin supplement to start with, along with a scoop of protein feed to help restore his muscle tone and put on needed weight. Kurt grabbed a salt block and they returned to the stall to give Pav his first meal in his new home. The gray gelding happily munched on his grain and seemed quite content with his new surroundings.

After dumping several flakes of hay into Pav’s trough to last him until morning, Will patted Kurt on the shoulder. “I’m going to head back over to the office if you need me. And I spoke with the farrier this morning. He’s going to stop by on Wednesday to get Pav’s feet sorted out. After that, we can start working him.”

Kurt nodded, stroking his horse’s neck as the gelding sampled the hay. The next few weeks were going to be busy ones as they got a sense of where Pav’s training stood and saw how quickly he learned. He knew that it was too early to consider when Pav would be ready for competitions, but he hoped that it wouldn’t take long to get him into at least the beginner events.

The day was winding down and other riders were finishing their lessons and bringing their horses in. Kurt stayed with Pav, wanting the gelding to have his presence while there was so much activity around them. Horses were being stripped of their tack, wiped down and placed in their stalls to be fed and some of the other riders talked a bit louder around the horses than Kurt would prefer. Pav didn’t seem overly bothered by all the activity. He picked up his ears and looked out of the stall and watched the other horses coming in, whinnying in greeting.

He saw Rachel hand over her mare Songbird to one of the stable hands and came over to take a look at the new addition to the barn. “Kurt, what is this?” she asked curiously, peering at the tag on the stall. “You got a horse?”

“Yup,” Kurt answered, proudly patting Pav’s neck.

“But how?” she asked. “I mean… I know that you can’t afford one.”

That was typical Rachel, somehow always managing to insert an insult into pretty much anything she said to anyone. Kurt decided not to call her out on her rudeness since he knew that it wasn’t deliberate. Her mindless insensitivity was pretty much legendary around the barn and it was hardly a secret that more often than not, he’d paid for his lessons by mucking stalls.

“I’ve been saving up,” he said. “And as soon as I saw Pavarotti, I knew he’d be perfect for me.”

She studied the horse critically, her nose wrinkling a little.

“He’s pretty skinny,” she commented judgmentally. “Is he sick?”

“No, not at all. He just didn’t have the best care for a bit.” Kurt didn’t know how much he really wanted to reveal about Pav’s background, but decided that there was no reason to hide anything. Rachel would, unquestionably, say something offensive but he was actually very proud of the fact that his horse was a rescue. “The woman who runs the Greater Ohio Rescue found him and let Schue know about him. I went to see him last week and the rest is history.”

“A rescue?” Rachel demanded, looking somewhat aghast. “Kurt, I know that you were desperate to get a horse, but a rescue? I mean… what kind of competition horse would you expect to find there?”

“A registered Irish Sport horse from good lines that just wasn’t treated properly,” he said matter-of-factly, refusing to feel any anger at her thoughtlessness.

“But if he was a good horse, he wouldn’t have ended up there,” she insisted. She looked at Kurt with an expression that to her would pass as sympathy. “I just don’t want to see you held back because you took the first horse you could afford.”

Kurt took a deep breath, trying to keep from snapping angrily at her. “I didn’t,” he stated firmly. “It just happened that the best horse happened to be at a rescue. It’s not his fault that his past owner didn’t have the brains to keep him. I’m just lucky that we found one another.”

The tiny girl didn’t seem convinced but had the good sense not to argue with him on the matter further. She just shrugged and left to see to her horses for the evening. Kurt signed and turned his attention to Pav, who had stood by and watched their interaction curiously, as if he understood what they were saying to one another.

“Don’t listen to her, Pav,” Kurt said softly, stoking his horse’s neck affectionately. “She’s very full of herself and doesn’t recognize anything being good unless it has a price tag attached to it. We’re going to prove her wrong.”


	3. Burt Is the Best Father In The World

Burt sighed as he looked at the website, shocked at the prices. This was Kurt’s favorite site for buying his riding gear and he was hoping to get Kurt something special for his birthday. In the past few months, Kurt had managed to cobble together most of the tack he’d need for competition. He’d bought an eventing saddle that was in excellent condition second hand, and he bought the bridles and jumping boots for Pav through this website. The one thing Kurt didn’t have at this point was a dressage saddle good enough for competition. The one he used for schooling was old and no amount of polish would hide its age and wear.

Burt wanted to get him the saddle. Kurt more than deserved it. Besides keeping his grades up at school, he worked both at the garage and the barn to help finance his training. But looking at the prices, Burt realized that it might not be possible. He’d checked with Schue to see what exactly Kurt needed and besides the saddle itself, he needed to order a girth, the stirrup leathers and irons. All of which were sold separately.

He’d expected it to be expensive, but he’d had no clue of just how pricy top of the line horse gear could be. To get anything of decent quality was well over a thousand dollars for just the saddle and the prices only seemed to go up from there. He wanted Kurt to have something of good quality and not some fake leather piece of junk that wouldn’t last more than a season or two. A good saddle would last Kurt many years of riding, but still… he hadn’t expected it to be anywhere near this expensive.

Thankfully he hadn’t mentioned wanting to buy the saddle to Kurt so if it didn’t work out his son wouldn’t be disappointed. Kurt had mentioned that Rachel’s fathers were likely to outfit her with a new set of tack for the upcoming season and maybe he could buy one of her old saddles.

He felt his hands clench angrily at the very thought of Kurt using her secondhand gear. Over his dead body. Not with the way she always bragged about how much money her fathers spent on her training and horses. There was no way he was going to allow that little brat to have the satisfaction of seeing Kurt using her cast off gear. He’d find some way to make this happen.

There was a knock on his office door before Tommy, his foreman, poked his head in. “Hey Burt, you got a minute to go over the schedule for next week?”

“Sure… come in,” he answered, rubbing at his eyes.

Tommy took the seat by Burt’s desk and saw what was displayed on the computer monitor. “For Kurt?” he asked knowingly, a little smile on his face.

“Yeah… I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to get him this saddle he needs for when he shows.”

“How expensive is it?” Tommy asked, clearly having no clue of just how expensive Kurt’s sport really was.

“For the saddle, around fifteen hundred. Then a few hundred more for the girth and other stuff that he needs with it,” Burt answered.

“Wow… that’s a lot,” Tommy commented. “I knew that horse stuff had to be expensive, but that’s crazy.”

Burt sighed, knowing that he was going to have to really stretch things out the next few weeks to make this possible. He had a good chunk of money in the bank for emergencies, but he was reluctant to touch it. “Yeah, his sport isn’t cheap. I’ll get it for him. I just… I just have to juggle the checkbook a bit.”

“His birthday is next month, right?” Tommy asked.

“Yeah, I kind of wanted to surprise him with it.”

Tommy remained quiet for a minute. “You know... the guys always get Kurt something. What say we all chip in on this?” he suggested. “I mean, we’ve known Kurt since he was in diapers. He’s a good kid and if he needs this, then we want in on making sure he gets it.”

“You guys don’t need to do this,” Burt protested.

“Hell, if you were talking about getting him a car, we’d want to help out.” Tommy leaned over and looked at the price, nodding as if in agreement with his own plan.

“Let me talk to the other guys… they’ve been asking what we’re going to do for his birthday.”

Burt looked up at him, not quite sure what to say. “I can’t ask you guys to help with this. It’s a huge amount of money.”

“Burt… this is Kurt we’re talking about,” Tommy insisted. “We practically helped raise him. Look, let me talk to the guys and see how much everyone wants to chip in.”

Within a half hour, Burt found that his employees were able to pool several hundred dollars towards the cost of the saddle, putting it within reach. Burt looked at their smiling grease-streaked faces, the whole lot of them so pleased with themselves and realized that he couldn’t allow his pride to get in the way of doing what Kurt needed. Kurt would be so delighted that he wouldn’t care that his father hadn’t been able to do it on his own. The kid was so damn appreciative and worked so hard that he understood why the mechanics wanted to do this for him.

He placed the order without hesitation.


End file.
